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Explorations: my author blog

Here is another Telakan recipe, this one adapted from the recipe for glühwein. It makes two cups.

Ingredients: Water, juice of one lemon or equivalent amount of orange juice*, 1 to two tablespoons sugar, 3 or 4 cloves, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, one 12 oz. bottle of beer.

Squeeze the lemon or measure about ¼ cup orange juice into a small saucepan. Add an equal amount of water, the sugar, and the spices. Bring to a boil and simmer for about five minutes, till you have a thin syrup.

In the meantime, open the beer and warm it gently. You can do this in a glass measuring cup in the microwave, or in another small pan. Don’t let it boil!

Pour the warm beer into the syrup and stir. Cook it gently, without letting it boil, for about a minute, until it’s quite hot.

It’s important to use a large enough saucepan – one that will hold at least 2 quarts, or 2 liters – because the beer will foam quite a lot. Share out the mulled ale and the foam between two mugs. Enjoy!

*If you use a lemon, as I did when I first made this, you may find you want to use a full two tablespoons of sugar. This drink comes out quite tart. If you use orange juice, you won’t need as much sweetener. Honey would also be very good in this drink. It’s a work in progress: try it and let me know what you think

1-2 tablespoons olive, canola, or good quality oil, 4-6 teaspoons curry powder, at least 2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, a clove or two, hot red pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste. You may substitute an onion for the shallots, green pepper or celery for the fennel, and you may add 1-4 cloves garlic if you like it. The fish is optional, too; you can substitute ground meat or simply make a vegetarian version.

Method:

If you are using dried beans, it’s a good idea to prepare them in advance. Pick them over, soak them overnight or at least 8 hours, and rinse them. Then put them in a large stock pot with water to cover by about an inch, a bay leaf, and a couple of peppercorns. Bring to a slow boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or until tender. Drain and rinse and set aside.